Pack Menality
by JayBirdVanna
Summary: Rather than relying on her family name, Luna decided to forge her own path to the Heroics Department. (IzukuxOC)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Enter Luna: The Lone Wolf**

The media hoard had, once again, gathered at the front entrance of U.A. The droning buzz of the group's near constant barrage of questions hurt Luna's sensitive ears. The young girl felt her lips curl into an annoyed snarl, her sharp fangs digging painfully into the soft flesh of her bottom lip. Through the crowd, she could just make out some teachers that were trying to disperse the mob that had formed.

Luna rolled her eyes before following the other students to one of the side entrances.

"Did you hear that Class 1-A was ambushed by a bunch of villains during rescue training yesterday? That's why Snipe-sensei ran off during class!"

Luna couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation a pair of upperclassmen were having a few feet in front of her. She arched an eyebrow at the information, eager to hear more.

"I heard! Someone in 3-C heard some of the teachers talking and they said that the freshmen actually took out a good many of the villains on their own! I don't think I could fight a group of villains yet and I'm graduating this year!"

 _I guess that's why they're in the heroics class,_ she thought to herself as she attempted to pull her unruly hair into a ponytail. She winced the few times her fingers tugged on some tangles hidden in her black tresses.

She made her way to 1-C's classroom and sat at her desk at the end of the last row, ignoring the immediate decrease in her classmates' excited chatter following her entrance. She calmly removed her notebook and pencil case from her blue slouchy backpack, pushing away the feeling of heavy sadness that settled in her chest.

 _Just focus on the lessons. Not them,_ she reminded herself as she discreetly blinked away tears that had started to pool on her lower lash line.

A few minutes passed before the warning bell chimed and the tall cement hero, Cementoss, entered the classroom.

"Good morning, students!" he greeted as he made his way to the front of the room, setting his planner on the podium.

"Good morning, sensei!" the class responded with varying levels of enthusiasm and genuine feeling.

An awkward pause fell over the class as if everyone was waiting for someone to ask the question that was on everyone's mind. Even Cementoss was waiting for someone to ask since he wasn't sure of how to approach the subject. Seconds continued to tick by in silence and it was grating on Luna's nerves.

She rolled her bright gold eyes and let out a huff of annoyance, which came out sounding like a bark, much to her embarrassment, before thrusting her hand into the air followed by a polite, "Ishiyama-sensei?"

All eyes shifted to her and she resisted the urge to narrow her already harsh gold eyes into a glare directed at her classmates.

"Yes, Ookami-chan?" the cement man answered, waiting patiently for the question he was expecting.

"Is everyone in 1-A okay after the villain ambush yesterday?" she asked, watching her instructor's face shift into a slightly surprised expression. She figured that he was expecting questions about the attack, but not that one in particular.

He cleared his throat and folded his hands behind his back. "Yes, all of the students in 1-A are fine."

"Pro-heros too?" she pressed gently.

The teacher nodded. "No. 13, All Might, and Aizawa-sensei needed medical attention, but have all returned to their duties as of this morning."

"Thank you, sensei," Luna said, lowering her hand, pleased with the information that everything was okay.

 _For now,_ she added pessimistically in her mind.

"Any other questions?" Cementoss asked, his eyes narrowed into a slit-eye glare. When no one responded, his glare instantly faded into his usual peaceful smile. "Great! Then on to the only thing on the homeroom agenda. The U.A. sports festival is in two weeks. Please do not over-do your preparations. I want to see the best Class 1-C has to offer."

The room erupted into cheers, almost all of the students shouting out in excitement. The only students to remain silent were Luna and the blue-haired menace two seats to her right. The dark-haired girl allowed her eyes to drift from her teacher to his slouched form. His dull blue eyes met hers, his blank gaze purposefully concealing his contempt for her. She bared her fangs in a brief, silent growl, pleased when his eyes widened a fraction in shock. She smirked when he turned away from her piercing golden gaze. She returned her attention to her open notebook, her pen scratching words into the paper.

"All right, settle down students! Let's get started with today's lesson!" Ishiyama-sensei said calmly as he began to write on the chalkboard.

The rest of the school day passed without incident. Just after the final bell rang, the members of 1-C rushed out the door, leaving Luna alone in the room staring after them in confusion. She shook her head slightly, her hair falling into her face, before finishing to pack her things away. Once everything was stored properly in her bag, she exited the room and started making her way towards the shoe lockers. However, her passage was blocked by a large crowd that had formed around the 1-A classroom. She watched the over-sized door slide open from her spot at the edge of the congregation.

"What's going on?!" a girl shouted just beyond 1-A's threshold. She sounded confused.

Between the gaps in the horde, Luna's sharp vision allowed her to see the girl responsible for the exclamation. Her brown hair was styled in a bob cut and a surprised flush dusted her cheeks. Just behind the girl stood a tall boy, his posture stiff and proper, borderline ridged. She could also sense others, but they were just out of sight.

"No way out? What're they here for?" a slightly childish male voice exclaimed from farther inside the room.

"Scoping out the competition, _duh_ , small fry," a gruff voice insulted. A boy with light blonde, spiky hair and a harsh face pushed forward passed his classmates and towards the mob.

"Cuz we're the kids who survived a villain attack. Makes sense they'd want a look before the sports festival," he continued, his face pulling down into a deeper snarl.

The crowd began to mumble under their breaths as tension started to build, but the girl could make out a meek voice apologizing to someone.

"And that's him on a good day." The meek voice was almost soothing in comparison to the blond boy's gratingly arrogant tone.

The angry blond took another step forward, his red eyes gleaming in the same afternoon sunlight that draped half of his face in shadow. "No point, though. Move aside, _Cannon Fodder_ ," he growled in a defiant manner.

Luna could hear someone in the room chastise the blond for his "eloquent" choice of words, but her attention was pulled to a familiar figure pushing past her and into the crowd. She scowled at Shinsou's back as she watched his blue hair travel to the front of the horde.

"It's true. We came to get a look, but you sure are modest. Are all the kids in the hero course like this one?" Shinsou's bland voice caused all other murmurs to quiet.

The blond's face changed from an arrogant glare to a furious snarl at the newcomer's words. He tilted his head back, looking down on the other boy, and growled out a harsh " _Huh?!_ "

Shinsou continued, "Gotta say, I'm a little disillusioned if this is what you're offering." He rubbed the back of his neck, seemingly unaware of the students that were backing away from him. "Those of us who didn't make the Hero Course are stuck in General Studies and the other tracks. There're quite a few of us. Did you know that?"

Luna cursed under her breath and began to shove her way through the group of students, hoping to reach her classmate in time to stop him from saying something stupid that would reflect badly on their class.

"Depending on the results of this sports festival…" Shinsou paused, "They might consider transferring us to the Hero Course. I understand the _reverse_ is also possible for you…" he paused again, his eyes drifting over the visible 1-A class members before resting on the navy-tinted mop of hair that broke through the mob on his left side.

"Don't say anything stupid, Shinsou," Luna growled out in a low tone, her warning sparkling clear in her golden gaze.

Shinsou didn't even blink as he finished, "Scoping out the competition? For a General Studies kid like me… This'll be the perfect chance to knock you off your pedestals. Consider this a declaration of _War_."

The short girl gaped at her classmate, infuriated and appalled at his behavior. She briefly noticed some of the 1-A members' shocked frowns, before she used another student's outburst to drag the blue-haired big mouth away from the commotion. Once they reached the end of the hall, she dropped his wrist from her grasp with such ferocity, it was as if he had burned her.

"What were you thinking? Everything you said is going to not only paint a target on all the General Studies students during the festival, but it is also going to reflect badly on Ishiyama-sensei," she growled, her hands clenched tightly around her backpack straps that were situated on her shoulders.

Shinsou scoffed and leaned down, getting in Luna's face. "Shut the fuck up, _mutt_. No one cares what you think. And don't think that us being classmates means that I won't be gunning for you during the competition. As far as I'm concerned, _you_ are at the top of my list."

He poked her chest hard, pushing her slightly off balance forcing her back against the wall, before he stormed off towards the exit.

Luna bit her lip, trying to hold in both shouts of retaliation and tears of frustration. She glared at the floor, already formulating battle strategies against him, just in case.

The sound of approaching footsteps shook her from her impromptu brainstorming session. She glanced up, seeing two of the 1-A members from before, the brown-haired girl and the stiff boy, followed by a meek-looking boy with a mop of green-tinted hair. As they passed, her harsh gold eyes met the meek boy's kind green ones. Time seemed to slow to almost a stand still while their eyes were locked, but the moment ended abruptly when one of his companions came between them.

She quickly dropped her gaze to the floor and walked in the opposite direction of the trio, trying to calm the sudden thudding of her heart. She pressed her hand to her chest, her eyes involuntarily drifting back in the direction the boy had gone. She shook her head as she chastised herself. _Focus, Luna. Now isn't the time to develop an interest in boys. The sports festival is your only shot at the heroics department. You need to prepare. No time for distractions._

* * *

The two weeks passed in a blur for Luna, since all of her free time was spent training under the watchful eyes of her four older brothers.

Her time in school was spent focusing on lessons, but during breaks, she found herself scanning the crowds of students, looking for the boy with the kind green eyes.

Finally, the two weeks were up, and the day of the sports festival had arrived.

Luna got up early, put on U.A.'s gym uniform, and cooked herself a healthy breakfast. Once she had cleaned up the kitchen, she grabbed her backpack and headed to the front entryway of the house to put on her shoes.

As she sat on the small step that led from the entryway into the house, she heard the sound of her father's heavy footfalls approaching from behind her. The wolf ears twitched on top of her head as the thudding sound echoed in the narrow hall.

"Luna," his deep voice bounced off the walls, seemingly coming from everywhere all at once.

She turned her head just enough to look at his looming figure from over her shoulder; her messy curls obscuring some of her view. His gold eyes, that were only a few shades darker than her own, pinned her in place.

"Aim for the top, my daughter. You need to be admitted to the Heroics Department. It is your birthright."

* * *

The teen rolled her eyes, pushing off the step, and standing at attention. She grabbed her bag from the floor and swiftly walked out the front door, ignoring her father.

Luna sat at an empty table farthest away from the rest of her classmates inside the 1-C prep room. The excited chatter that flowed from her peers seemed distant as she focused on her breathing.

 _This is it, Luna. This is your chance to make it to the top without the help of Dad's name. All you have to do is keep your temper in check and you should be good._

The grating sound of a chair scraping across the floor directly to her right snapped her out of her meditative state. Her golden eyes flicked to the person who caused the offending noise.

Shinsou plopped down in the seat across from her and proceeded to stare silently.

"What?" she asked dully, her black tail swishing restlessly behind her.

He blinked, the dark bags under his eyes more apparent in the fluorescent lighting. "Don't expect to get through this test at all. I will crush you in the first stage."

She arched an eyebrow in interest. "Oh really. I hate to disappoint you, but I plan on making it to the end. I trained too much not to."

"Whatever," he replied shortly, rising to his feet as an adult called to the class to line up at the stadium entrance tunnel.

The wolf girl, once again, stood off to the side, away from the group. Class 1-A was the first to enter the stadium, and the roar of applause and cheers were practically deafening to her sensitive ears. She winced as the sounds grew louder as she followed her class out onto the field.

" **LUUUNAA~!** "

She flinched at the sudden shout of her name. She slowly turned her head, only to see two very familiar faces leaning over the railing a few feet to her left. She felt her eye twitch as she identified the almost identical faces that grinned at her.

"DO YOUR BEST, LITTLE SIS~!" the pair shouted in sync, waving what appeared to be homemade flags with her name on them.

Luna covered half of her face with one of her hands, trying to hide her embarrassed flush, while walking over to her twin older brothers with their matching glittering blue eyes.

"Astro, Cane, what on Earth are you doing here?" she asked through gritted teeth, looking around the seating area for the missing two brothers.

Astro, the white-haired twin, grinned wider. "Do you really think we would miss your first U.A. Sports Tournament?"

Cane, the black-haired twin, shrugged his shoulders and said, "We didn't have any jobs for today, so Gray made us come. He and Kai said to tell you 'Good Luck' by the way."

She sighed and muttered "Of course" under her breath.

"Ookami-chan, please join the rest of the class for the opening ceremony." Cementoss-sensei said gently, as he steered her back to the rest of the students. "You can talk with your brothers afterwards."

Luna rolled her eyes, but followed her teacher's instructions. She took her place among the 1-C group, eyes drifting towards the center stage where the heroine Midnight was waiting.

"Now for the Athlete's Oath!" she shouted into the microphone, snapping her bullwhip.

Murmurs about whether or not Midnight was an appropriate MC for the first-year student events cropped up throughout the crowd.

"R-Rated Hero? Should she really be a high school teacher?" a deep voice questioned from the 1-A class.

"Pipe down!" she cried, once again snapping her whip. "Your student representative is from Class 1-A, Katsuki Bakugo!"

The arrogant blond with the rude mouth from that day 2 weeks ago made his way through the crowd.

"Whaaa? It's Kacchan?!" A familiar meek voice called out in a befuddled manner.

The girl's golden eyes lit up at the sound, glancing over the crowd until she landed on the green-tinted hair that she had been seeking out for the past few weeks. Her heart started to thud in her chest at the sight of him, drowning out the few conversations that popped up during Bakugo's walk to the mic stand.

"The Athlete's Oath…" he paused a moment, tucking his hands in his pockets. "Make no mistake about it," he continued louder, "I'm gonna take first place!"

The students erupted into angry shouts, which only grew louder when the blond responded to them in an arrogant tone, "You'll all make great stepping-stones, I'd say." He made a cut throat motion with his thumb, his lips turned up in a sneer.

He walked off the stage as Midnight once again demanded attention. "Now, without any delay, let's get the first event started!" She turned her head to look at the screen behind her as it began to flicker.

"These are the qualifiers!" the heroine announced excitedly, "It's in this stage that so many are sent home crying every year!" The dark-haired woman pointed exaggeratedly at the screen. "And the fateful first event this year is…"

A tense pause fell over the students as all eyes watched the screen in front of them stop flickering, finally displaying their first task. The words **Obstacle Course Race** appeared, followed by Midnight shouting, "This!"

 _An obstacle course? There's gotta be more to it than that._ Luna thought to herself, her golden eyes drawn to the gates clacking open before them.

"It's a race between every member of all eleven classes! The course is a four-kilometer lap around the stadium itself." Midnight explained, signalling the first yellow caution light above the gate to illuminate.

"Our school preaches freedom in all things!" the heroine laughed, "So as long as you don't go off the course, anything is fair game!"

The students started shuffling closer to the gate as she spoke, trying to stealthily get into running positions. Luna moved off to a less populated area, her gaze comparing the size of the crowd to the size of the entrance to the test.

 _So the first obstacle is getting to the course. That weeds out a lot of people literally right out of the gate. I can't fall behind. This is my chance to prove to Dad and my brothers that I don't need their name and influence to make it as a Hero!_

"Racers, to your positions…"

She pressed the ball of her right foot into the dirt, getting a good foot-hold. Her ears were standing up at attention, waiting for the instant the buzzer sounded. The next light lit up. The seconds seemed to stretch on indefinitely.

 _This is it!_

The final light lit up at the same time that Midnight screamed, "START!"

* * *

 **Thank you soo much for reading my new story! My Hero Academia is probably my favorite anime and my second favorite manga series. I will try my hardest to get new chapters out on Saturdays after the new episode is released.**

 **Hope to see you next time! Happy Easter! Plus Ultra!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Pack Mentality**

 **Chapter 2: Instinct or Skill**

Luna dashed forward as soon as the bell rang. The hoard of students moved towards the gate in one large clumped mass.

Her peers started to cry out as they began to get stuck against the walls and each other; too many of them trying to fit in a tight space.

The wolf girl smirked as she approached the edge of the hoard, eyeing the solid back of a tall boy a few steps in front of her. She jumped into the air, placing her foot squarely on the boy's back, and launched herself into the air. She bounced off another student's head, spring boarding herself into the wall. Using her momentum, she sprung off the wall and onto the other one, wall jumping her way to the exit.

She leapt out of the tunnel when she felt a sudden chill in the air.

"The first filter…" a familiar voice said in a low tone, followed by a rush of ice along the ground.

Luna quickly landed on top of a fallen student whose legs were stuck in the ice, and swiftly leapt from one student to the next until the ground was no longer covered in frost.

The boy that was ahead of her glanced back, his red hair almost blocking his one blue eye from view.

"Luna," he said, nodding in acknowledgment.

"Shoto," she replied, smiling at him.

"How's the General Studies track?" he asked, returning his attention to in front of him.

"Boring," she answered, jogging beside him, "But I plan on winning this thing so I will get transferred to the Hero track. So, we may be classmates in a few days."

Shoto opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by a cry from behind them.

"Too easy, Todoroki!" a feminine voice called out.

The pair glanced back to see several students bursting out or over the crowd of their still frozen peers, including a black-haired girl next to a cannon.

 _Where did that thing come from?! Did she make that with her quirk? That's amazing!_

Bakugo, the arrogant blond student rep, propelled himself with the explosions from his palms; his face twisted into an almost irritated grin. "I ain't letting you get ahead that easy, _Half N' Half_!" he roared.

Every step Luna took away from the starting line revealed more and more students who had also escaped Shoto's icy blast. She recognized the green-tinted hair of the meek boy among them, and felt an unexplainable surge of pride. But the warm fuzzy feeling was quickly extinguished by the sight of Shinsou, the blue-headed prick, being carried by three boys; their faces resembling blank mindless zombies.

She let out a low growl, her lips curling into a harsh snarl. _He is disgusting, using fellow students like a palanquin. He has no dignity._

"I expected it from my class, but more made it through than I thought would." Todoroki mumbled, watching the students slip and slide on the frosty ground. He looked over at the wolf girl running beside him, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised you got passed them. You always could tell what I was gonna do before I did it."

Luna grinned, her sharp canines glinting in the sun. "That's what happens when you spend too much time together during your fundamental years."

The sound of popping and squelching caught both of their attentions, forcing them to look back. A short boy was pulling what appeared to be round balls from the top of his head, throwing them onto the ground in order to spring off of them, in a manner very similar to what Luna had done.

The pair approached the first curve in the track, losing sight of the boy for a moment, until his high-pitched, childish voice called out to them.

"Good thinking, staying two steps behind Todoroki!"

Luna's ears twitch atop her head, picking up the sound of grinding gears and squeaky metal approaching quickly from the left side of the track. She pivoted on her back leg, quickly dashing towards the boy.

"Now it's my turn!" He continued to shout. His bloodshot eyes were locked onto the dual-tone haired boy, ignorant to the fact that someone was rushing directly at him. "How about a taste of my Killer-"

Luna leapt forward, wrapping her arms around the purple headed boy, and using her free hand to vault over the mechanical arm that had struck out from over the wall. She pressed her feet into the unforgiving metal, and backflipped out of reach as several more large robots started to appear on the track.

"Mineta-kun!"

She raised her head slightly, just in time to see the meek boy fretting over his classmate. Before she could call out to him that 'Mineta-kun' was alright, the feeling of small hands groping her breasts stopped her in her tracks. Low chuckles came from the boy in her arms, his face pressed into her shirt.

"I'm sure I've died and gone to heaven~" he mumbled, a heavy blush painting his face red.

Luna felt her body twitch involuntarily, hot rage bubbling in her gut. She grabbed Mineta's head, her sharp nails purposefully digging into his scalp, and forcefully ripped him from her body. With a loud, harsh growl, she flung him to the ground, his rubber-like 'hair' sending him bouncing and tumbling a good distance away from her.

"Multiple targets acquired!"

She looked over her shoulder, noticing that Shoto was separated from the group by 2 robots with long, flexible arms. However, the ground behind him cracked open, revealing a colossal monstrosity.

"The faux villains from the entrance exam?!" the meek boy murmured under his breath.

"Every obstacle course needs obstacles! Starting with…" Present Mic's obnoxiously loud voice rang out through the speakers as the giant robot finally came fully into view. "The first barrier. ROBO INFERNO!"

Three of the giants blocked their progression; their red visual sensors glinted menacingly in the sunlight.

"It's the zero-pointers from the exam!"

"Seriously? The Hero Course kids fought _**those**_?!"

"Too many. There's no way past!"

Voices of panicking students rose like a flood from behind Luna, all of their words almost blending into one noise.

"So, this is what I missed out on by not taking the Hero Exam? Hn, nothing special." Luna shrugged, her sharp eyes searching out a quick route around all of the enemies in her way.

Shoto swung his right arm upwards, throwing a blast of freezing air at the robots, encasing them in ice.

Luna leapt into action the moment she saw her childhood friend move to run through the opening between their opponents. The sound of the ice cracking clued her into the boy's plan. She smirked as she quickly caught up to him on the other side of the enemy line.

"He stopped 'em! We can get through that gap!"

"Just like that girl is doing! We just need to follow her!"

Shoto looked over his shoulder at the students behind him, purposely ignoring Luna who was grinning widely at him. Although, he did let a half smirk slip when he noticed her thick black tail wagging behind her.

"Bad idea. I froze them in pretty unstable positions so they'd fall." He finished right as the robots collapsed, blocking their path.

Luna snickered behind her hand, "You guys need to move a little faster. Act more, think less."

"1-A'S TODOROKI AND 1-C'S OOKAMI! BUSTING THROUGH AND SABOTAGING THE OTHERS IN ONE MOVE! THIS GUY'S _**COLD**_ AND SHE'S _**CUNNING**_! I GUESS WE SHOULD EXPECT THIS CLOSE TEAMWORK FROM CHILDHOOD FRIENDS!" Present Mic's loud voice cackled through the speakers. "AMAZING! THEY'RE WAY AHEAD OF THE PACK! ALMOST FEELS UNFAIR!"

She rolls her eyes, returning her attention to the track. The sound of scraping metal and crashes echoed from behind them as students began to get around the robot obstacle. The sound of Present Mic's and Aizawa's commentary faded into the background as she jogged a little faster in order to keep up with Shoto's longer stride.

"So, you really think you can win? Don't underestimate my classmates." Shoto commented, keeping his breathing even and steady.

"I know that you guys fought off a villain ambush, and I know that some of 1-A are forces to be reckoned with. But that doesn't mean I can't beat them." she countered, staring ahead, her face set in a determined expression. "It's my only option."

"Why didn't you take the Hero Exam? Honestly, you could've gotten a recommendation and not taken the exam at all with your grades and test results."

"And that's exactly why I didn't take the exam," she snarled, her calm facade cracking at the seams. "I don't need _his_ name to get into the Heroics Course, and I will prove that today."

Shoto raised an eyebrow, and hummed under his breath. "We are still too much alike. Even after all this time."

Luna scoffed and shook her head, "Thought that was obvious."

Returning her focus to the path in front of her, she noticed something off about the next obstacle. Her jogging slowed down as she realized that the platforms before them were indeed only connected by strands of tight rope. The dark fur on her tail bristled as she came to a complete stop at the edge of the first cliff.

Shoto already had one foot on the tight rope, but he spared a second to glance back at her. "Still got that fear of heights, huh?" he mocked, his face a blank slate.

The wolf girl bared her teeth, an embarrassed flush stained her cheeks. "Shut _up_ , Shoto!" She tried to take a shaky step towards him and the precarious pathway forward, but her body fought against it. Her palms became clammy and breathing labored.

He sighed to himself, holding his right hand up. A blue glow formed in his palm that then dissipated into a dense snowball. "How many times do I have to say sorry for pushing you out of the treehouse?"

"As many times as it takes, you ass!" she growled, once again trying to step closer to the edge.

She turned to look over her shoulder as the sounds of the rest of the students grew closer. She grit her teeth, arguing with herself. _Come on, girl! Get over it! The sooner you get across the gap, the sooner it's over! Your future is riding on this!_

She turned back, determined to move forward, only to receive a snowball to the face. The cold snowflakes blinded her momentarily as she released what was surely a pitiful yelp. She dropped to her knees, furiously rubbing her eyes. "Damn it! What the hell, Shoto!"

"Figured you needed a different type of motivation. Get over your fear and beat me to the finish line."

"You split haired prick! Get back here so I can pummel you!" Luna barked, hearing the taut ropes bend with his weight as he continued running the course.

"OOH! WHAT AN UNDERHANDED MOVE ON TODOROKI'S PART! LOOK'S LIKE OOKAMI IS LAGGING BEHIND!" Present Mic's voice over the speakers taunted her.

* * *

"That was a dirty trick, Shoto-kun!" Astro shouted at one of the many screens around them. He pouted as he watched his little sister sit on the ground, trying to clear her eyes of the snow attack.

"I think that was just his way of making her get over her fear," Cane said plainly, a slight frown tugging at his lips, "But yes, that was dirty."

"BOOO!" Astro yelled over the crowd's cheers, waving a thumbs down wildly over his head.

Cane sighed, ignoring his twin's over-enthusiastic antics, and watched the screen for what his sister would do next.

* * *

Her attention was pulled to over her head, as explosions echoed above the cavern. The smell of gunpowder and sweat hit her nose and she knew she had fallen behind the grenade boy of 1-A as well. She growled to herself, trying to pry her eyes open and wincing as the sharp snowflakes made tears gather at the edges of her eyes.

Moment's later, the sound of at least three students approaching from behind met her ears, followed by another bout of Present Mic's announcing.

"SO THE FIRST BARRIER WAS A PIECE OF CAKE?! HOW ABOUT THE SECOND?! FALL AND YOU'RE OUT! YOU GOTTA CRAWL ACROSS IF YOU WANNA MAKE IT! THIS IS THE FALL!"

 _God! Does he ever shut up?!_ Luna thought to herself, annoyed more at her own predicament than at the teacher.

"When did they build this stage?" a female voice spoke from somewhere to Luna's left.

She pried one eye open, her vision only allowing her to see forms and blobs. The voice, however, was familiar. It was one of the one's she had heard coming from inside Class 1-A's room that day two weeks ago.

 _Which means more of 1-A has already caught up with me. Damn it! I'm taking too long to recover from that damn snowball!_

"Ribbit! Ribbit." The sound of the taut rope bouncing once again filled the wolf girl's ears, further annoying her. "Just a giant tight-rope."

Luna grit her teeth, baring them in a silent snarl, as more and more students flooded the area.

From the middle of the pack, creepy laughter drifted above everyone's heads. " _Hee Hee Hee_ , here we go. My chance to make a splash!"

The new female voice started causing a ruckus, thankfully slowing the progress of anyone else. Luna, finally, opened her eyes and was able to see more than just her blurry surroundings. She cheered mentally, blinking rapidly, and wiping any leftover tears that may have been lingering on her cheeks.

"Hmph. You look pathetic sitting there. Did you lose your nerve while you had the lead?"

She felt her body stiffen involuntarily, her lips curling upwards into a deeper snarl. She pinned Shinsou down with a sharp glare, and clenching her fists against the dirt.

 _Hold your tongue! If you respond, he can use his quirk on you! You can't allow him to do that! Not here!_ She told herself, feeling her vocal chords constrict in order to keep any sound from escaping her throat.

"Hn," he smirked down at her, before running towards a side path.

Her entire head felt hot as her blood boiled with intense rage. The teen girl was suddenly unaware of everything around her as she stared at her classmate's retreating form.

"Hey, are you alright?" a meek voice called out from behind her, but she couldn't hear their words over the mantra filling her brain.

With a loud roar, Luna pushed herself to her feet, taking off in a sprint for the cliff edge, and springboarding off of yet another student, launching herself into the air. She landed harshly on the next platform and scrambled to her feet. Her breath left her lungs in huffs, her pupils dilated into tiny dots as the edges of her vision became fuzzy.

 _Focus on the goal! Don't look down!_ she repeated to herself, her tunnel vision actually keeping her fear at bay.

"THE LEADS KEEP BREAKING AHEAD, WHILE THE REST OF THE PACK IS BUNCHED UP! OUR RACERS DON'T KNOW HOW MANY WILL GET TO MOVE ON, SO ALL THEY CAN DO IS AIM FOR FIRST PLACE!" Present Mic's obnoxious voice came from the speakers once again. "AND OUR LEADER HAS REACHED THE FINAL BARRIER!"

"Dammit! He's there already?!" Luna growled, clenching her fists as she wobbled on the rope momentarily. Sweat beaded on her brow as she fought to regain her focus. _Just a little farther!_

"THAT IS TO SAY… THIS MINEFIELD! IT'S A DEADLY AFGHAN CARPET! A QUICK GLANCE IS ENOUGH TO REVEAL THE MINES' LOCATIONS! SO KEEP BOTH EYES OPEN AND WATCH YOUR STEP!"

 _Mines?! Damn it, that means loud explosions in close proximity to me. And the one day I forgot my earplugs at home!_

The red stairs leading to the final turn in the course grew closer as Luna finally grew more confident in her steps along the rope. Her speed was on her side, flying past other students, once she was back on solid ground.

"WE HAVE A NEW LEADER! GET EXCITED, MASS MEDIA! YOU GUYS LOVE THIS SORT OF TURN-AROUND!"

The wolf girl exited the curve and skid to a halt as she watched her opponents carefully step across the field, avoiding the mines altogether.

"BUT THE REST ARE CATCHING UP! BUT WITH THESE TWO GRAPPLING FOR FIRST...CAN THEY HOLD ONTO THEIR LEAD?!"

"So someone is fighting with Shoto, trying to slow him down. Bet anything it's that loud mouth firecracker from this morning," she grumbled to herself, eyes drifting over the field. She nodded, happy with the path she had scouted out, and finally started moving forward.

From the corner of her eye, she saw the green haired boy also stop just shy of the mines. She smiled slightly, glad to see he had made it this far, and returned her attention to her pathway. However, before she could get any farther into the course, an explosion of pink dust engulfed her. She screamed as the bang filled her sensitive ears, leaving behind a constant ringing.

"What the fuck was that?!" Luna shouted, coughing into her hand as she accidently inhaled smoke and dust. She stumbled to the side, her balance thrown off from the aftershock, and pressed one hand to one of her ears. She felt, rather than heard, another mine go off not too far in front of her.

Thankfully, that blast blew the dust out of her face, allowing her to see more clearly. Her eyes immediately noticed the meek green-haired boy riding the blast on a piece of green metal. Astonished, she let out a laugh and pushed on through the dangerous field, invigorated by his daring stunt.

* * *

Izuku knew he was falling too fast. Kacchan and Todoroki were going to pass him any moment now.

 _Wait! That girl from before! She used people as springboards! She pushed off of them, propelling herself forward while simultaneously knocking them down! It's my only shot here!_

Placing his feet on his classmates backs, he flung the chunk of metal into the ground, causing another explosion. The force of the blast pushed him forward while knocking the other two backwards. He rolled with the momentum, scrambling to his feet, continuing to push himself towards the finish line.

 _I'll need to thank her for the idea whenever I get the chance_.

* * *

Luna ran harder, the ringing in her ears finally starting to subside, just in time to hear Present Mic over the loudspeaker.

"WELL, WHO COULD HAVE PREDICTED SUCH AN INCREDIBLE TURN OF EVENTS SO EARLY ON?! THE ONE WHO MADE IT BACK TO THE STADIUM FIRST… IS NONE OTHER THAN MIDORIYA IZUKU!"

The wolf girl fought back a large grin, snickering to herself. _So, the meek boy with the green hair's name is Izuku, huh? Cute. I bet Shoto is gonna be annoyed he only came in second._

"So the Great Ookami's daughter wants to use the General Studies track to launch herself into the limelight, is that it?" a voice from behind her taunted in an accusatory tone.

She stopped in her tracks, looking over her shoulder, glaring at the boy who was only a few paces behind her. His blond hair was styled in a 'prince-cut', giving him the air of faux-superiority, and his gray eyes reminded her of stone. The girl stood a little straighter and turned to face him, mindful of the amount of people running past them.

"And what if I am? Isn't that the point of this tournament? Why do you even care? Aren't you already in the Heroics Department, Monoma Neito?" she questioned, her tone bordering on rude and annoyed. She took a half step back, but stopped when she felt the dip of a mine just beyond her heel.

The boy raised an eyebrow, his face contorting into a disdainful smirk. "Because I despise anyone who thinks they are better than me just because of who their family is."

Luna grit her teeth, baring her sharp canines, and held in an indigent laugh. "You have no right to speak on matters you know nothing about." she hissed, her fur bristling.

Neito lunged at her, hand outstretched, his wide, mocking grin still consuming his face. She lept backwards, away from him, quickly scooping up a decent sized rock from the ground and hummed it at the mine that was currently directly below the blond.

Once the pink smoke engulfed him, Luna sprinted towards the exit. Her speed allowed her to pass a good majority of students, who were still stumbling into more mines.

"Don't turn your back on me!" Neito shouted from behind her, but she ignored him as she finally spotted the entrance to the stadium.

She pushed her legs to move faster, her breath leaving her lungs in harsh pants as she entered the tunnel. The difference in light caused her to close her eyes briefly. She squinted as she neared the opening, skidding to a halt a few feet into the stadium's clearing. The roaring applause filled her ears, and the sight of her brothers' waving their flags filled her with a deep sullen feeling instead of the joy she was hoping for.

A quick glance at the scoreboard showed that she had come in 33rd place. She sighed, scratching her scalp and messing up her hair in a frustrated manner.

 _Damn it! 33rd! I can't believe that! God, what am I gonna do now to stand out?!_

She glared at her name on the board, before starting to read off the other names. When her golden gaze drifted up six names, her heart dropped into her stomach.

 _ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?! Shinsou beat me here?! Fucking shit!_

"So it's finally over." Midnight said into her microphone up on her stage. "Let's check the results!"

Everyone who placed in the top 42 showed up on the big screen. Out of the 42 students, Luna and Shinsou were the only General Studies students to make it, along with Hatsume Mei from the Support track. All the others were from Classes A and B, no surprise there.

"The top 42 from the Qualifying Round will move on! But for those who placed lower, don't worry! We've got another way for you to show your stuff!"

Luna looked around the group of teens. Everyone was on edge, waiting to see what challenge they would face next. Her eyes finally rested on the mop of now familiar green hair that was a few people in front of her.

 _Midoriya Izuku. No matter what this next task is, he will be either my target or my friend. Sorry cutie, but if I am to get into your class, I might have to take you down._

"And now the main selection **REALLY** begins! The Press Corp's going to be jumping out of their seats, so give it all you've got! Now, on to the second event! I already know what it is, of course…" Midnight taunted as the screen above them flickered to life, motion blurs filling its picture.

"Dying in suspense?! Next up is… _**THIS!**_ "

The words Cavalry Battle appeared on the screen. Luna almost jumped for joy.

 _YES! A teamwork exercise! If this is anything like the Cavalry Battle that Kai participated in a few years ago, then the student who placed 1st in the first round is gonna be worth the most points! Which means most students will target them, but if I get on Izu-kun's team and help him win, more attention for me!_

The wolf girl shook her head and returned her focus to Midnight.

"Each of you has been assigned a point value based on your ranking in the last event!"

"We'll earn points like in the entrance exam? Sounds simple." A male voice stated from Luna's right.

"So the point value of each team depends on its members!" Another boy added on.

"I'm about to explain it, so just SHUT UP ALREADY!" Midnight shouted, cracking her bullwhip loudly. "Anyway, yes! And your individual point values at five, at the bottom! So the student who took 42nd place is worth five points, 41st is worth ten… Get it? But… Our first place participant is worth… _**TEN MILLION POINTS!**_ "

All heads snapped in the poor meek boy's direction, their intense stares almost tangible in the air.

 _Yes! I was right! Now, I just have to convince him to let me on his team! Easier said than done. Oh well, worse comes to worse, I can always join Shoto's team. He owes me for that damn snowball to the face._

"The higher ranked students are the ones to aim for… This survival game is a chance for a comeback. It's **ANYONE'S** game!"

Midnight continued to explain the rules, but they were the one's Luna already knew, so she tuned them out in order to focus on her convincing speech for Izuku.

"Most importantly, even if your headband is taken… and even if your horse formation is broken… **It's not over 'til it's over!** "

 _That's new. When Kai did it, losing your headband meant you were out. Guess this way is a little more interesting._

"Quirks are allowed, so it'll be a brutal battle! However… It's still a Cavalry Battle! Maliciously attacking another team with the intent of making them fall will get you a red card! And that means you're out of the game! You've got 15 minutes! Time to form your teams!"

 _Alright! I just gotta make my way to him now! No sweat!_

Luna started walking towards the boy everyone was avoiding, her tail wagging at the amazing turn of events. But, before she could reach him, a body blocked her path. Looking up, she was met with the dull eyes of the last person she wanted to see.

"Mutt." Shinsou greeted, a smirk painting his thin lips.

"Get out of my wa-"

And the world went dark and silent.

* * *

 **Thank you everyone for your patience with me! I am so sorry this took so long to get out to you guys. It just took a long time until I was happy with it. Hope you enjoyed and I hope to come back for the next one! xxx**


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